2007-08 National Women's Team

BECHARD’S SHOOTOUT GOAL GIVES CANADA ANOTHER WIN

Calgary, AB – Kelly Bechard (Sedley, SK/Calgary, WWHL) scored in the shootout to lift Canada’s National Women’s Team to a 4-3 victory over the UFA Bisons midget AAA boys team on Friday night.

Bechard, Canada’s third shooter, took the puck to her left, then right, before lifting a forehand over UFA’s Brayden Hopfe. Kim St-Pierre (Chateauguay, QC/Montreal, CWHL) made a great glove save on the Bisons’ Corban Knight to preserve the win. St-Pierre made 27 saves for the win.

Canada’s National Women’s Team, which is holding its January evaluation camp through Sunday at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena, is now 2-0 against midget AAA boys teams this week. Canada beat the Calgary Royals 5-2 on Wednesday.

On Friday night, UFA took a 1-0 lead at 11:27 of the second period on a goal by Steven Fernie. Canada, though, answered back 24 seconds later, when Ashley Riggs (Pickering, ON/Niagara, CHA), after taking a pass from Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Calgary, WWHL), went forehand to backhand to beat UFA’s starting goaltender, Michael Snider.

Canada took a 2-1 lead 51 seconds into the third when Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, QC/Minnesota, WWHL) snapped a shot past Hopfe. UFA tied it at 2:58 on Lane Wagner’s goal.

Canada took the lead once again at 4:52, when Kingsbury completed a nice tic-tac-toe play. Tessa Bonhomme (Sudbury, ON/Ohio State, WCHA) and Katie Weatherston (Thunder Bay, ON/Montreal, CWHL) got the assists.

Andrew Bergmann made it 3-3 at 7:42, forcing a five-minute overtime period and, eventually, the shootout.

Canada returns to action on Saturday when it faces Calgary Edge, another midget AAA boys team, at 1 p.m. MT. The evaluation camp, which is one of the tools used by Hockey Canada to select the team that will play at the IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship in April in China, concludes on Sunday when Canada faces the Calgary Buffaloes (11 a.m. MT). Both games are at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena.

CAN - National Women's Team

UFA Bisons (Midget AAA)

1 Michael Snider
30 Brayden Hopfe
2 Caylen Walls
3 Doug Jessey
4 Erik Fleming
5 Jordan Evans
6 Levin Rolfe
25 Lane Wagner
8 Devin Mitzner
9 Corban Knight
10 Steven Eidsness
11 Alexander Colborne
15 Andrew Bergmann
18 Brandon Rommens
19 Austin Fyten
20 Joel Paiement
21 Kyle Knelsen
22 Quinn Sproule
23 Steven Fernie
24 Dustin Taylor

1

2

3

Final

0

1

2

4

0

1

2

3

Goals/Buts :
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités :
BIS – Caylen Walls (tripping) 2:12
CAN – Gina Kingsbury (Body-checking) 17:07

Goals/Buts :
BIS – Steven Fernie (Erik Fleming, Austin Fyten) 11:27
CAN – Ashley Riggs (Gina Kingsbury, Chelsea Grills 11:51

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Cathy Chartrand (tripping) 8:56

Goals/Buts :
CAN – Caroline Ouellette (Hayley Wickenheiser) 0:51
BIS – Lane Wagner (Brandon Rommens, Alexander Colborne) 2:58
CAN – Gina Kingsbury (Tessa Bonhomme, Katie Weatherston) 4:52
BIS – Andrew Bergmann (Corban Knight, Austin Fyten) 7:42

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Hayley Wickenheiser (holding) 17:35

Goals/Buts :
CAN – Cherie Piper (no goal)
CAN - Jennifer Botterill (no goal)
CAN - Kelly Bechard (goal)

UFA – Austin Fyten (no goal)
UFA - Steven Fernie (no goal)
UFA - Corban Knight (no goal)